Means for folding paperboard wrappers about objects to be packaged therein



H. G. GENTRY April 26, 1960 2,933,870 MEANS FOR FOLDING PAPERBOARD WRAPPERS ABOUT OBJECTS TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1957 INVENTOR. .HERMOND G.

GENTRY 7 We'd 6 a? ATTORNEYS 2,933,870 MEANS FOR FOLDING PAPERBOARD WRAPPERS ABOUT H. G. GENTRY April 26, 1960 OBJECTS TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN Filed Jan. 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HERMOND G. GENTRY BY ATTO RNE Y6 April 26, 1960 H. G. GENTRY 2,933,870

mums FOR FOLDING PAPERBOARD WRAPPERS ABOUT Y I OBJECTS TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN Filed Jan. 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. HERMOND G GEN TR Y A TTO RNE Y5 H. G. GENTRY 2,933,870 MEANS FOR FOLDING PAPERBOARD WRAPPERS ABOUT OBJECTS TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A ril 26, 1960 Filed Jan. 11, 1957 l llillll lllllHI Q I III m" MM T m fin w A w M 0 mm E "w a n u w a van. 3 i ,5 ll 1 l n4 9. c 3 6 3 Un ted ates at h f MEANS FOR FOLDING PAPERBOARD WRAPPERS ABOUT OBJECTS TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN Her1nond G. Gentry, Atlanta, Ga., assignor, by mesne aisigrhiglents, to Mead Packaging, Inc., a corporation 0 0 Application January 11, 1957, Serial No. 633,641

2 Claims. (Cl. 53-209) This invention relates generally to the packaging of objects, such as cans, in open ended paperboard wrappers of the type formed from a substantially rectangular blank proportioned to fold about and overlap beneath a package group of objects arranged in at least one row, and moreparticularly to an improved means for folding and overjlapping wrappers of this sort about objects to be packaged therein.

A paperboard wrapper of the above noted type is disclosed in copending application Serial No. 459,918, filed October 4, 1954, now U.S. Patent No. 2,786,572; and U.S. Patent No. 2,751,730, issued June-26', 1956, discloses .in detail the manner in which objects may be packaged in wrappers of this sort, together with apparatus for carrying out the packaging operation. Generally characterized, the packaging is accomplished by feeding the objects to be packaged serially in at least one row, transversely separating the objects into package groups as they .are fed, aligning a wrapper blank transversely across .the top of each separated package group, and then progressively folding each aligned wrapper blank downwardly at the sides and overlapping it beneath the package group with which it is aligned, after which the folded wrapper blank is secured to complete the package.

According to the present invention the manner of folding the wrapper blank downwardly at the sides and overlapping it beneath the package group is advantageously improved so that this folding may be carried out in a simpler and more positive maner, and in a shorter length of travel of a group of objects being fed for packaging. Briefly described, the improved folding operation of the present invention is obtained by causing a group of objects being fed for packaging to travel across successive gaps in a support therefor, with the gaps spaced so as --to maintain the traveling package group continuously supported while allowing the end portions of a wrapper aligned therewith to be overlapped and carried, respectively, through these gaps to a position directly beneath the objects of the package group and on top of the support therefor. In this way the folding of the wrapper about a traveling package group may be entirely completed at a folding station before being transferred to subsequent operating means and the folding is accordingly completed in a positive manner and with the wrapper tightly disposed about the package group to the best advantage.

These and other features of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating an arrangement of folding means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view corresponding generally to Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a paperboard wrapper, such as is folded by the means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,

Patented Apr. 26, 196p ice Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank for the wrapper illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 55 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 77 in Fig. 2',

Fig. 8 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 8-8 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 9-9 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10 is a transverse section detail taken substantially on the line 10-10 in Fig. 2.

The folding means embodying the present invention that is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings comprises an arrangement thereof adapted for use in packaging apparatus of the type disclosed in the above noted U.S. Patent No. 2,751,730, a suitable frame structure 10 being provided to carrymeans for: receiving and serially feeding the objects, such as cans C, to be packaged; transversely separating the cans G into package groups as they are fed while maintaining an associated wrapper blank W transversely aligned with each package group,

. jects or cans C to be packaged is indicated in Figs. 1 and sshown as it appears completely folded and secured about a packaged group of objects;

2 at 12 as comprising a conveyor which is preferably of the chain type and arranged to present a flat smooth surface at its upper reach on which the cans C will slide when caused to, but on which they will otherwise follow the conveyor movement so as to be fed into the packaging operation. The conveyor 12 is also preferably driven at a rate faster than the rate at which the cans 0 subsequently travel through the apparatus, so as to maintain a continuous supply of objects feeding thereon to the subsequent packaging means; and reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 2,752,027, issued June 26, 1956, for a disclosure of separating means by which objects initially received in a single row may be separated into two rows on a conveyor of this sort,'if desired.

The means by which the wrapper blanks W are associated with the cans C feeding on the conveyor 12 and subsequently maintained in transverse alignment therewith is riot shown in the present drawings, such means being disclosed at length in the previously noted U.S.

Patent No. 2,751,730, andin copending application Serial No. 593,605, filed June 25, 1956, and being suitably provided in exactly the same manner for use in relation to the folding means of the present invention.

The transverse separation of the cans C into package groups, while traveling on the conveyor 12 and while the associated wrapper blanks W are maintained in transverse alignment therewith, is effected by means of separating plungers 14 carried on spaced sprocket chains, as indicated at 16, and actuated by cam guides 18, 20 and 22 to extend transversely of the conveyor 12 for initially separating the package groups; to maintain the separated package groups continuously traveling at the driven speed of the carrying chains 16; and finally to retract and thereby release the completed package for discharge. Fig. 2 shows this arrangement of the separating plungers 14 at one side of the conveyor 12, and the same arrangement is duplicated at the other side. 7

Upon separation of be traveling cans C into package age groups having the wrapper blanks W maintained in allignmenttherewith are transferred from the conveyor 12 to the folding means of the present invention which is indicated generally in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral 24, and which comprises an elongated supporting means formed by parallel strip members 26 and 28 arranged to receive from the conveyor 12 the respective *rows of cans C in the separated groups for sliding therealong in the direction of these rows with the aligned wrapper blanks W folded downwardly at the sides of the can groups and extending below the strip members 26 and 28 for overlapping. The downwardly folded disposition of the wrapper blanks W is accomplished'adjacent the en- .t-rance ends of the strip members 26 and 28 by the action of overhead folding arms arranged as indicated in Figs. 1 and '2 at 30 to fold downwardly the portions of the wrapper blanks W previously extending transversely 'at each side of the rows of cans C and to direct these downwardly folded portions within the reach of guide bars 32 disposed at each side of the folding means 24 adjacent the lower ends of the cans C (compare Figs. 6

'and'7) to confine laterally the can groups and downwardly folded wrapper blanks for further travel through the packaging apparatus.

The folding means of the 'presentinvention further comprises apair of plate members 34 and 36 arranged to have the support of the package groups of cans C transferred thereto from the strip members 26 and 28 and to effect overlapping of the downwardly extending end portions of the wrapper blanks W directly beneath each can group in the course of such transfer, as is explained in detail further below. The can groups about which wrapper blanks W have thus been completely folded are then discharged from the plate members 34 and 36 for travel through a final locking station indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at 38, which may be of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No. 593,604, filed June 25, 1956, now U.S. Patent No. 2,809,486, and at which the wrappers W are secured about -foldably hinged at opposite edges of the top wall panel 100, and a pair of bottom lap panels 103 and 104 foldably hinged at the respective bottom edges of the pair of side wall panels 102 and proportioned to overlap at their extending edge portions to form a rectangular foursided wrapper W having the ends thereof entirely open as seen in Fig. 3.

The top wall panel 100,'side wall panels 102, and bot- -tom lap panels 103and 104 comprise portions of a unitary blank (see Fig. 4) which is rectangular in form and is transversely scored to arrange these portions in a foldably hinged series, with all of the portions having an the diameter of cans to be loaded in the carrier as illustrated by dotted lines at C in Fig. 4. The bottom lap panels 103 and 104 when overlapped form a bottom wall having a width equal to that of the top wall panel 100 and substantially equal to twice the diameter of the cans .C, so that the wrapper W is arranged to enclose two rows of cans C between the pair of side wall panels 102,

and-each side wall panel 102 is suitably notched adjacent 'its foldably hinged edges to provide positioning slots for the cans C along each side wall as indicated at 105.

The WrapperW further has the bottom lap panels 103 and 104 thereof arranged for interlocking engagement to secure it about a group of 'cans C by means of a series 'of spaced retaining tabs slit along the overlapping edge portion of the inner bottom lap panel 103, as at 106 and 106', and a related series of locking tabs 107 and-107' slit in the overlapping edge portion of the outer bottom lap panel 104. The spacing of the tab series 106 and 106, and 107 and 107', is such as to locate the respective tabs of each series at the dead spaces between adjacent cans C of a package group disposed therein, and thereby employ this dead space to provide clearance for manipulating the tabs into locking engagement. The bottom lap panels 103 and 104 are also advantageously formed with apertures 108 and 109 spaced from the ends thereof and from the adjacent side wall panel 102 for location within the diameter of an end can C loaded in the wrapper W so as to provide clearance at these apertures 108 and 109 for gripping the bottom lap panels 103 and 104 and holding them in proper overlapping relation while the locking tabs 107 and 107 are manipulated into locking engagement. 7

The manner in which the folding means of the present invention operates to fold the above described type of wrapper W about a group of cans C is further illustrated in Figs. 5 to 10 of the drawings. Fig. 5 shows, in transverse section, the disposition of the cans C as they are fed for packaging on the conveyor '12 with a wrapper blank W aligned transversely across the tops thereof and with the separating plungers 14 extended inwardly by the cam guide 18 to separate the cans C into package groups.

In Fig. 6, the cans C are shown advanced to the strip members 26 and 28 of the folding means 24, which may be arranged in stepped relation (not shown), if desired, for nesting the chines of the cans C for packaging, as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 593,627, filed June 25, 1956, now US. Patent No. 2,809,484; and at the entrance ends of which, as previously mentioned, the overhead folding means 30 causes downward folding of the transversely extending portions of the aligned wrapper blank W at the sides of the cans C with the wrapper end portions reaching below the strip members 26 and 28 and with the downwardly folded blank portions within the reach of outwardly flared entrance end portions 32' of the guide bars 32 which laterally confine "equal length that is substantially equal to a multiple of V and position the traveling package groups of cans C as they are slid along the strip members 26 and 2S and retain the downwardly folded portions of the wrappers W at the sides thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 further illustrates the arrangement of the folding plate members 34 and 36 by which the downwardly reaching end portions of the wrappers W (i.e., the bottom lap panels 103 and 104) are overlapped. These plate members 34 and 36 extend parallel to, and are parallelly spaced to each side of, the longitudinal axis of the pair of strip members 26 and 28 (compare Figs. 2 and 7); and each of the plate members 34 and 36 have downwardly reaching folding lips 40 and 42 formed at the ends thereof adjacent the strip members 26 and 28, with the respective adjacent ends of the strip members 26 and 28, and plate members 34 and 36, arranged in spaced relation so as to form gaps across which the traveling groups of cans C may pass and still remain continuously supported as the support thereof is transferred from the strip members 26 and 28 to the plate members 34 and 36.

One of the strip members 26 has a lesser length than the other, and the folding lip 40 on the related plate member 34 is spaced in advance of the foldinglip 42 on the other. plate member '36 (see Figs. 1 and 2) so as .to time the inward folding of the inner bottom lap panel 103 properly in advance of the other lap panel 104 (see Fig. 8) to effect overlapping thereof (see Fig.9). The plate member 34 having the advanced folding lip 40 thereon is also formed intermediateits length with a downwardly reaching guide lip 44 (see Figs. 1 and 2) at a transverse gap therein so as to provide for directing the extending edge portion of the overlapped outer bottom lap panel 104 from an initial position beneath the plate member 34 to a final position on top thereof (see Fig. It should also be noted that the strip members 26 and 28 are advantageously tapered in width, as at 26' and 28', towards the ends thereof adjacent the plate members 34 and 36 so as to reduce their dragging effect as the bottom lap panels 1193 and 104 are folded thereunder and thereby facilitate the transfer of the can groups with the folded wrappers W to the plate members 34 and 36.

The result of this arrangement of the folding means 24 is to provide for supporting the traveling groups of cans C continuously while progressively folding the aligned wrapper blanks W downwardly at the sides and overlapping them directly beneath the can groups, the overlapping portions of the Wrapper blanks W being carried successively through the gaps or spacings at the folding lips 40 and 42, and the guide lip 44, to rest finally on top of the plate members 34 and 36 in their fully overlapped position so that folding of the wrapper blanks W is entirely completed by the folding means 24 to the best advantage before the traveling groups of cans C pass therefrom tohave the folded wrappers W subsequently secured.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims. 7

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging objects in an open-ended paperboard wrapper formed from a substantially rectanguar blank proportioned to fold about and overlap beneath a package group of said objects arranged in at least one row, said apparatus comprising means for supporting said package group of objects, means for causing continuous travel of said group along said supporting means in the direction of said row while maintaining said wrapper blank transversely aligned with said traveling package group, means for folding said blank downwardly at the sides of said package group with the blank end portions extending below said supporting means for overlapping, said supporting means having gaps formed therein transversely with respect to the direction of travel of said group thereon and dimensioned for maintaining the objects of said traveling group continuously supported as said objects travel thereacross, and means extending downwardly from the trailing edges of said gaps and forwardly in the direction opposite to said direction of travel for progressively folding the respective end portions of said blank inwardly beneath said traveling group and directing said end portions through said gaps to a position directly beneath said objects and on top of said supporting means, said gaps being spaced longitudinally of said supporting means for effecting said inward folding and directing of said blank end portions to overlapping relation beneath said objects.

2. Apparatus for packaging objects in an open-ended paperboard wrapper formed from a substantially rectangular blank proportioned to fold about and overlap beneath a package group of said objects arranged in at least one row, said apparatus comprising elongated supporting means arranged to receive and carry said package group of articles for sliding therealong in the direction of said row with said wrapper blank transversely aligned therewith and folded downwardly at the sides of said package group to extend the blank end portions below said supporting means for overlapping, and a sec ond supporting means arranged to have the support of said sliding package group transferred thereto from said elongated supporting means and to effect overlapping of said blank end portions directly beneath said package group incident to such transfer and to complete said overlapping on said second supporting means, said second supporting means being longitudinally aligned with said elongated supporting means and having an adjacent end spaced therefrom for maintaining the objects of said sliding package group continuously supported as said objects are transferred thereto, said second supporting means being formed at said adjacent end with downwardly and forwardly reaching folding lips for separately and successively folding said blank end portions progressively inward beneath said objects and on top of said second supporting means, one of said folding lips being spaced longitudinally of said second supporting means in advance of the other for said successive folding and consecutive directing, and said second supporting means being further formed in longitudinally spaced relation beyond both of said folding lips with a downwardly and forwardly reaching guide lip at a gap therein for completing the direction of the outer overlapping end portion of said blank to overlapping relation beneath said package group.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,844,661 Kimball Feb. 9, 1932 2,206,761 Bergstein July 2, 1940 2,276,129 Wesselman Mar. 10, 1942 2,751,730 Gentry June 26, 1956 

